With 300 days of sunshine, a colourful cultural scene, diverse neighbourhoods and natural wonders as a backdrop, Denver is one of America’s most liveable cities, and it continues to draw in tourists from all corners of the world.
The Ramble Hotel is the glorious hideout for luxury travellers visiting the Mile High City. Inspired by Madame Rambouillet’s French Salons of the 17th century, this was the first hotel in Denver’s industrial and artistic RiNo neighbourhood. Under its roof are 50 spectacular boutique rooms and suites, and a host of delicious amenities.
Hotel
The Ramble’s structure was designed by award winning architects, Johnson Nathan Strohe (JNS) with the aim of engaging the passer-by, hotel guest and restaurant patron by evoking an old-world charm and curiosity. Indeed, the modest yet interesting exterior reminded me of a European Soho House. Discreet, stylish and fascinating – the perfect recipe for a discerning client.
NINE dot ARTS curated the hotel’s artwork program, reflecting a timeless, relaxed elegance while engaging with the creativity and vitality of RiNo. The artwork collection is comprised primarily of Denver-based artists, most of whom have studios in the neighbourhood.
What makes The Ramble special is the service. The team, or rather, family, live and breathe the property. Front office manager, Carola, anticipated my needs before I even realised them (she had the valet warm our car up whilst we got coffee on a frosty morning, for example) and Alex from the dining team’s tailored dining recommendations were seriously on point. When service, organisation and passion mix, it’s pure vacation magic.
Room
The Pied-å-Terre is the Ramble’s largest suite at 1000 sq. ft. The moment you step inside the Denver loft-meets-Parisian boudoir, you’re greeted with shining natural light, and views of downtown Denver. The building is short, which makes it feel like a home – a home that’s fully equipped with a kitchen, one and a half bathrooms, work station, living room, dining area, bedroom and closet.
Let’s start with the large living room area which is perfect for entertaining. The L-shaped couch sits on antique Persian rugs and faces the large operable windows and kitchen/dining area. Start the French press or pop the kettle on, because this is cosy Colorado and the snow falls beautifully outside.
In terms of tech, two televisions are capable with Google Chromecast, so you can binge The Crown all evening (as I did). To order amenities, an iPad is provided with easy to navigate options and, of course, a speedy turnaround after you hit ‘send’.
When you’re ready to retreat, the bedroom has a plush king bed, adjoined with a showbiz-esque vanity and walk-in closet area to get dressed or undressed in. You’ll definitely want to undress and slip on their white spa-grade robes – they are soft as a snowflake, but much warmer.
The bathroom colour scheme is a chic black, white and gold, and the focal point is the large claw foot tub. It has a vintage feel, evoking bathing in a country house, and the bath caddy reminded me that I needed to invest in one pronto. I spent ages in the tub and being within reach of my phone, tea and book allowed for more uninterrupted soaking minutes.
The bathroom uses house blend Rosemary Mint bath products, which leave you light and refreshed. These come in full-sized bottles of product, which I especially appreciated as it reduces waste that the miniatures unnecessarily pile up.
Food and Drink
Death and Co is one of the most significant and influential bars in modern America, and now Death and Co Denver represents the first new outpost of the brand since its inception in the East Village of New York City in 2006.
Situated in the marquee lobby bar, Death and Co also owns and operates a variety of dining and drinking experiences throughout the hotel. This includes DC/AM, a bright and welcoming café bar serving breakfast and lunch, where guests can start their day with high-quality coffee from Queen City Collective, a small-batch Denver roaster, tea, or cold press juices and breakfast bites.
But it is the restaurant’s evening treats that will blow your mind. The D and C Burger and tempura French fries are honestly the best I’ve tasted in America. I ordered them twice, because they were so good, and have no photographic evidence since I devoured them so fast.
Amenities
With more than 4,300 square feet of dynamic indoor and outdoor arrangements, the hotel offers a variety of different meeting, event and party spaces. The hotel also caters to wedding services, including the engagement party, welcome reception, rehearsal dinner, bridal suite, wedding ceremony, reception, celebratory brunch and guest lodging.
There’s also the Vauxhall, an intimate music venue, theatre and bar, where the Invisible City Series, a collection of acts, screenings and interactive performances, is held.
To do
Situated in the River North (RiNo) Art District, the hotel is surrounded by architects, art galleries, designers, furniture makers, illustrators, painters, media artists, photographers, sculptors and studio spaces. There are also 15 craft breweries, cideries, wineries and distilleries in a one-mile radius, making RiNo home to the largest concentration of craft beverage manufacturers in the U.S.
Now, although Denver is full of sun, it also gets rather chilly. When visiting the famous Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter, you’ll want to stop by at REI Co-op, the adventurer’s paradise. It’s a store meets travel company meets community. Essentials for a day out in the mountains include jacket, bottoms, a base layer and mid layer top. Their complete guide is super useful, so layer up and hit the gorgeous national park with its winding trails, thriving wildlife and big lakes. The REI Co-op First Chair GTX bib snow pants were a life saver in the deep snow for me personally.
Then you need snowshoes. You can rent them close by at Denver Outdoor Adventure Company – who can conveniently deliver them to the Ramble before you arrive and pick them up when you’re done. In the summer, it’s worth renting a stand-up paddle board, tube, or kayak from their office at 851 Santa Fe Drive.
Factbox
Getting there: The Ramble Hotel is a 30-minute cab ride from Denver International Airport, serviced by all major airlines.
Address: 1280 25th Street, Denver, CO 80205, USA
Phone: + 1 (720) 996 6300
Website: theramblehotel.com
Images ( unless credited ) courtesy of The Ramble Hotel
